OPEN LETTER
Dear Cllr Athwal,
I have received numerous complaints from residents about the proposed “Quiet Streets” scheme in Barkingside and Aldborough Wards. One resident has been forced into an impossible position as he will no longer have access to his garage if this scheme proceeds as planned. Both his and the other residents' complaints regarding emergency vehicle access and traffic flows need to be investigated straight away before any such scheme is imposed on them without any prior consultation.
I am also concerned to learn that you have blocked residents attempts to contact you on your Facebook page. You are the leader of the council and should lead by example and listen to them and not ignore what they have to say. This is just treating people with contempt.
Whilst we at Redbridge all want to do what is right environmentally and deliver healthier safer streets it is vital that before any scheme goes ahead that residents concerns are heard. This should be your first priority.
Due to the strength of feeling expressed by residents in other London Boroughs, Wandsworth has suspended their scheme due to concerns over traffic being gridlocked and increased pollution. Protests have also taken place in Islington, Enfield, Ealing and Tower Hamlets. I do not want to see this happen in Redbridge and you can only prevent this by taking urgent action.
I am therefore calling on you as Leader of the Council to immediately halt this ill-thought out scheme, rethink it and consult with residents straightaway.
Regards,
Cllr Linda Huggett
Monkhams Ward
Leader of the Redbridge Conservative Group
KARTIK PAREKH, resident in Barkingside ward says:
As a resident in Barkingside, my view is that the Barkingside Quiet Streets scheme in its current implementation and without the proper consultation of residents is wrong and ill-thought through. Even with the majority of “comments” on Redbridge Council’s website being negative and against this scheme, the local Barkingside Councillors, who do not live in the ward, are not willing to challenge this ill-planned implementation. I can appreciate that one of them is running to be the GLA member for Havering and Redbridge and so they obviously want to keep the Mayor happy - after all, you can’t upset the boss – with this being a TFL scheme. But it leaves me as a resident with a feeling of being treated with contempt by this Labour Council. I get the government strategy of incentivising walking and cycling, but nobody signed up to causing havoc around our streets with permanent barriers. My message is to listen to your residents as they know best.
